The substitution of all or a portion of the sucrose in a foodstuff with various other sweetening agents (e.g., polyols, monosaccharides, polysaccharides, and combinations thereof) has a number of advantages, which are well-appreciated in the art. Of particular interest to the health- and fitness-conscious public, foodstuffs sweetened with polyols (e.g., xylitol, sorbitol, etc.) have fewer calories than their sucrose-containing counterparts. In addition, the lower glycemic index of polyols, such as xylitol and sorbitol, as compared to sugars such as sucrose and glucose, has led to the widespread use of polyols as sweeteners in diabetic foods. Furthermore, the well-established dental benefits of using polyols such as xylitol in place of sweeteners such as sucrose (e.g., dramatic reductions in new tooth decay, arrest and, in some instances, reversal of existing dental decay) makes polyols desirable for use as sweeteners in a wide variety of foodstuffs. Additionally, evidence suggests that the consumption of xylitol and of foodstuffs sweetened with xylitol may be effective means for preventing and treating chronic ear infections (otitis media) in children (e.g., “A Sugarless Gum May Help to Prevent Ear Infections in Kids,” by Tara Parker-Pope, in The Wall Street Journal, Health Journal, Jun. 30, 2000).
In spite of such advantages, there are several problems to the use of polyols as sweeteners. As noted in a parent of this application (Ser. No. 09/379,952 filed Aug. 24, 1999), the substitution of all or a portion of the sucrose in a foodstuff with various other sweetening agents often necessitates that a “bulking agent” be used to “back fill” the volume of sucrose replaced. An ideal bulking agent restores the physical and chemical characteristics of sucrose to a foodstuff without significantly increasing calories and cost. Moreover, in spite of the substantial advantages attending the sweetening of foodstuffs with polyols (e.g., xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, etc.) and/or other sweetening agents (e.g., monosaccharides, polysaccharides), the ingestion of higher doses of such sweetening agents and/or the lack of systemic adaptation to such sweetening agents in sensitive individuals may result in unpleasant side effects which include diarrhea and symptoms associated with diarrhea. These side effects are particularly pronounced when a foodstuff containing one or more sweetening agents is consumed on an empty stomach, or when the foodstuff in question is a beverage.
Sucrose and dextrose reportedly can produce diarrhea in some cases. Food, The Yearbook of Agriculture 1959, The United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C, page 288, under the chapter on INFANTS AND TODDLERS reports that cane sugar (i.e. sucrose) in concentrations of more than 8 percent and dextrose (i.e., the dextrorotatory form of glucose) of more than 6 percent of the feeding (of infants and toddlers) draw water from the tissues into the gastrointestinal tract and cause some diarrhea and dehydration.
It has been found that inulin is an ideal bulking agent for use in combination with sweetening agents such as polyols, monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides.